


In the Dark

by JudyG710



Series: Let's Get Dangerous [3]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 2018), DuckTales (Cartoon 1987), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: I couldn't not write this all right?, I swear, I want to sob, little girl blue, mallard-mcquack family, someone tell me how to use tags, they're just so precious, they've got me more productive than I've been in years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 20:10:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20141287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JudyG710/pseuds/JudyG710
Summary: Gosalyn Waddlemeyer can't seem to find the light in her life anymore.





	In the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Special shoutout to @drakepad on Tumblr for the awesome art that inspired this ficlet. And to everyone on the drakepad discord server for cheering me on until I finished!

All anything ever was anymore was dark. Dark clothes when people she didn't know offered empty words of sympathy; dark mood when the littlest things would get her in trouble with impatient adults; dark nights when no one was there to tuck her in or sing her a lullaby. Even when the sun was up, everything seemed too dark. 

Or maybe it was just her. Maybe it was all her fault this whole time.

She was the one who kept losing people after all: her parents, her grandfather... Mrs. Cavanaugh was highly convinced she kept 'acting out' to scare away any prospective parents the orphanage kept setting her up with. When was anyone going to realize she was just spirited? That's what her grampa always called her anyway. Maybe that meant a broken lamp and some muddy tracks on the carpet, but it was never with malicious intent! She always cared about the people around her, even if they didn't believe it, so why couldn't they do the same for her?

Oh, who was she kidding? Only her bio family had been able to handle her 'spirit'. But now that they were gone, there was no one left to even try caring for Gosalyn Waddlemeyer. 

These thoughts plagued her every night since her grandfather's funeral. More times than not, it was in the rickety cot with the threadbare blanket that always awaited her when she returned to the orphanage. 

Everyone else was already asleep, but Gosalyn was reluctantly continuing her tradition of watching the dark cityscape against the dark sky, wondering if the tears would come tonight or if she was too spent to shed any. Even the light of the full moon wasn't enough to chase away the dark. 

She didn't always mind the dark, used to enjoy it even. When others made fun of the darkness of her feathers, she took pride in it. When a classmate's mother told her she'd look better in brighter colors, she got dark pants and jewel-toned tops to prove her wrong. When Darkwing Duck was on TV, she'd imagine herself by his side in the shadows, the darkness their playground, their home. 

Maybe she'd keep some happy thoughts for the dark if Darkwing had been real, or at the very least, if Mrs. Cavanaugh would let her keep watching the show. Of course the out-of-touch old hen thought the TV violence was making Gosalyn such a handful and forbade the show within the building. She didn't think she was asking too much; she just wanted to see her last remaining hero, the one who couldn't leave her, who always got back up. When she was old enough to start earning money, the first thing she'd get would be Darkwing Duck DVDs and a portable DVD player. 

She grinned, albeit barely. For the first time in weeks, she was able to fall asleep with a happy thought. 

_"...Gosalyn..."_

_She opened her eyes, but everything was still dark. She looked around her, turning every which way to find something, anything. "Hello?" she called out._

_"Gosalyn..." returned a familiar voice echoing in the black._

_She felt her heart pick up with hope. "Grampa?" She spun around in circles and rubbed her eyes. No matter what she did, she couldn't see him. "Grampa, where are you?"_

_"I'm right here, dear." The voice was right behind her, and she felt a familiar weight on her shoulder._

_Gosalyn immediately turned around and threw her arms out, latching onto the figure behind her. She still couldn't see anything, but the presence was the right width and warmth for her to know it was her dear grandfather. "Grampa! I thought you were gone for good!"_

_She felt a hand in her hair, tears falling from the soothing gesture. She never thought she would feel it again. "I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't want to leave you so soon..."_

_"I know Grampa. I never blamed you, and I never will. But it's okay now! You're here! It can be the two of us against the world again. Right?"_

_Her grandfather gently squeezed her, breathing a quiet, heavy sigh. "I wish it were Gosalyn, I truly do. But I can't stay past tonight. I am only able to tell you a few things before I go. Please dear, it's important," he insisted before she could protest. "I do not have this chance again, so please listen carefully."_

_Gosalyn felt the hope come crashing down, weighing her heart down to her feet. "But... but Grampa, you can't leave again!"_

_"It's not my choice. Now please listen: no matter what, do not let anything or anyone diminish your spirit. Things are hard now, but they won't always be. Just continue being your wonderful, spirited self, and everything will turn out okay. Understand?"_

_She sniffed, her beak trembling as she tried not to cry again. "I... un-understand..."_

_"Good. Remember that you are strong; you can get through anything life can throw at you, but I promise you won't have to do it alone. Gosalyn..." She felt his hand on her chin, lifting her head up before cupping her cheek. And for the first time, she could see his face, smiling, warm and loving, at her. "Your dads are waiting for you, and they are going to love you so much."_

_She blinked, bringing a hand up to keep his pressed to her cheek, but she could already feel it slipping away. "What do you mean Grampa? Who are you talking about?"_

_"I'm sorry dear, but I have to go now. Remember what I said, okay?"_

_"No, wait! Don't leave yet, you only just got here!" She grabbed for him, but he slipped out of her reach. "Please Grampa, don't leave me!" she sobbed, running after him. But she could never catch up._

_"And remember my lullaby, my little girl blue," he called to her, before he disappeared._

_Gosalyn kept running after him, running, reaching, calling for him, for her parents, someone, anyone! But no one came._

She woke up with a damp pillow and proceeded to cry long after she had no more tears to shed. 

~~~

If things couldn't get any worse, she was attacked by Taurus Bulba's goons the next day. How was Mrs. Cavanaugh in charge of children? To believe such a flimsy excuse as them being friends of her grandfather without trying to verify it with her first! Thank goodness Gosalyn had some brains and was able to slip past them and run away. 

But where was she going to go? The police station was probably her best bet, but she didn't know where it was. If those morons had a car, she would be toast, even her fast legs no match for a motor. Her heart leaped to her throat at the roar of a motor suddenly so close to her. She had to skid to a halt to avoid running into someone who'd stopped right in front of the crosswalk.

"Gosalyn Waddlemeyer?" 

She looked up and nearly fell on her backside. "No... way..." Sitting on a familiar motorcycle, in a familiar purple outfit, was a familiar vigilante. "Darkwing Duck?!" 

The masked man blinked, clearly taken aback. "You know me?" 

"Know you? Of course I know you! You're the terror that flaps in the night! The pin that bursts crime's bubble! You're my most favorite hero ever!" she gushed, rushing forward and hugging his leg, not minding the heat of the nearby motor. She looked up after a moment, brow drawn in confusion. "I thought you were just a TV show though."

"O-oh, well you see, I- um-" 

"I hate to interrupt DW, but we're gonna have company soon," someone said behind Darkwing. 

Gosalyn looked around and saw another duck sitting in a sidecar of the Ratcatcher. He was as broad in the shoulders and chest as her grandfather had been in the waist, orange hair peeking out from a brown cap. He saw her then and smiled, bright and warm and _genuine_. It was probably the nicest smile she'd ever received from someone outside her family.

Darkwing nearly jumped in his seat. "R-right! Thanks LP. Miss Waddlemeyer, we understand someone is after you. We can take you somewhere safe until they're dealt with. The police or-" 

"Can I see your hideout?" the duckling asked, having almost forgotten she was being chased but wanting to take this opportunity now that it was presented to her. 

"Um, w-well-" 

"We gotta get a move on DW!" The other duck, LP, pointed down the road, where the idiots from earlier had finally started catching up to her. 

Darkwing looked down at her again and nodded once, holding out a hand to her. "Sure kid, you can see our hideout, if you'd feel safer with us."

"Keen gear! Let's go!" Gosalyn grabbed his hand, and immediately, she was tucked between him and the motorbike's handlebars, smoke filling the spot they used to occupy as they peeled out of there. 

~~~

Darkwing Tower was dark, befitting a duck of the night, but it had been more than Gosalyn could've ever hoped to see in her lifetime. There were parking spots for the Ratcatcher _and the Thunderquack_! Fancy gadgets, computers, and training equipment everywhere; everything a superhero could need for fighting crime. 

But there were other touches. A small kitchen, for when cases ran long and the occupants needed to eat, with a cutesy apron hanging on a hook and matching coffee mugs near a coffee maker. Comfy blue armchairs that seemed a little out of place, but Darkwing assured her they were there for a reason. Even a few pictures lying on one of the computer desks, of the crime-fighting pair and some other kids that looked to be about her age.

She'd been running all around the secret hideout, gushing over everything and asking a million questions a minute. The superhero and his partner (not sidekick, Darkwing had insisted, partner) took it all in stride, answering everything they could for her. 

Apparently, this Darkwing was different from the one she'd seen on TV, less egotistical and way more awkward. But she liked this one better, because he was real, and he was helping her, of all people! He explained, rather sadly, what happened to the first Darkwing Duck and how he was now fighting crime in his honor; and how his partner, Launchpad apparently, was a fantastic help, providing him with the vehicles and the backup that was vital to their cause.

Launchpad was also great. Even though they'd only just met, he seemed to actually care about her. He regularly asked if she was hungry and offered to run out for anything she wanted. He easily lifted her up to get a better look at some things that she couldn't reach on her own, not even reprimanding her when something got knocked over. He even cheered her on when she and Darkwing got into a faux battle, which ended with the masked duck on the floor and out of breath from her tickle attack.

Why couldn't any of the people Mrs. Cavanaugh brought her be like these two? They were both fun, patient, and sincere, making the darkness of the lair seem like nothing more than a faint dimness from the luster of their hearts. As cheesy as that sounded. 

"Should probably get some shut-eye Gos," Launchpad suggested a couple hours later. The nickname was new, but it stuck immediately. 

"Aw, do I have to?" she whined, still wanting to see everything.

Darkwing chuckled. "You're more used to sleeping at night than we are, kiddo. And we don't want to put you in danger by having you join us on patrol." He laughed quietly again. "Though your spirit sure could keep you going through anything."

Her heart leapt at those words, and she couldn't resist latching onto his legs in a firm hug, nearly sending him to the floor again. "Thanks Darkwing."

"Oh, uh... you're welcome, Gosalyn." He put a gentle hand on her shoulder and started leading her up to the top of the tower, Launchpad not far behind them. 

There were large windows all around, letting her see far across St. Canard and even Duckburg! They had to be on the Audubon Bay Bridge; she'd never been this far outside of St. Canard before. She looked away from the windows to spot a plush king-sized bed directly in the center, a neat little dresser set behind it against a wall. 

Gosalyn looked up at her new friends. "You sure you're not gonna sleep tonight?"

"Don't you worry Gos. We sleep in the morning, after patrol. Can't really be night people if we sleep at night, huh?" LP laughed. 

"LP's right," DW noted. "Besides, we've got to stop Taurus Bulba and his lackeys from coming after you, and there's no safer place in St. Canard than Darkwing Tower. You'll be all right up here until we get back. I promise." 

She smiled a little, slipping off her shoes and hanging her jacket on one of the bedposts. "I'm not really that tired though," she tried one last time, climbing up onto the bed anyway. 

Launchpad grinned sympathetically. "Anything we can do to help you get to sleep?"

She eyed her jacket. "Well..." Their expressions were so earnest, and they were quiet and patient to let her make up her mind. She leaned over and pulled a photograph out of her jacket pocket. "This is me and Grampa," she whispered, looking at the picture fondly before handing it to them. "We were very close. He would sing me a lullaby before I went to sleep." 

Darkwing cleared his throat nervously. "Um, I've- never really, sung a lullaby... before." 

"Hey, don't worry. I could give it a shot!" Launchpad offered, taking a seat next to Gosalyn as she slipped under the covers. "Would ya feel better if I sang the one your granddad would sing for you?" 

"... Yeah, I think I would. Promise you'll actually sing it if I teach you?"

"As many times as you need to hear it." 

Gosalyn felt a slight pang in her heart that made a smile automatically appear on her bill. "All right... _Close your eyes, little girl blue. Inside of you lies a rainbow... Yellow blue, red blue purple too, blue purple and green, then the yellow..._" 

The vigilante hummed. "Not much on lyrics..."

"Aw, I think it's cute," LP insisted. He cleared his throat before softly singing. "_Close your eyes, little girl blue. Inside of you lies a rainbow... Yellow blue, red blue purple too, blue purple and green, then the yellow..._" His voice was deep and soothing, almost enough to send her to sleep right then. 

She turned sleepy eyes on her hero. "You sure you don't want to try, Darkwing?"

He blinked, looking over at his partner, who nodded encouragingly. "Well... mind if I... try my own version?"

"Sure, knock yourself out." 

Launchpad laughed. "Careful, he might actually knock himself out," he teased, earning a playful slap to his shoulder. 

"Launchpad. Um... _Rest your head, little girl blue. Come paint your dreams on your pil-low..._" Gosalyn saw him look across to Launchpad, seeing such tenderness and warmth be exchanged between them that she couldn't help but feel even an echo of it in her own heart. He reached over her with one hand to grab Launchpad's while the other pulled the blanket up closer to her chin. "_We'll be near, to chase away fear. So sleep now and dream, 'til tomorrow..._"

They turned their loving smiles to her, and if she wasn't so tired, she might've burst from all the affection. "_We'll be near, to chase away fear. So sleep now and dream, 'til tomorrow..._" they sang quietly together. 

And Gosalyn fell asleep, completely at peace and actually happy.

~~~

Of course, just as things were going well, everything had to come crashing around them. Literally. 

Taurus Bulba had gotten his greedy hands on her, took her to the top of Canard Tower, and threatened her for the code to her grandfather's last invention before he passed: the Ramrod. She didn't know any code, until she saw the control panel. Her grandfather's lullaby, it had been the code this entire time! Yet she feigned ignorance, not about to give this creep the time of day, much less the activation code. 

Darkwing Duck had dropped in just before Bulba turned violent, confronting the crime boss directly. But he cared about her too much to keep fighting, stopping when one of the stooges had her dangling over the edge of the roof. Bulba demanded the code for her life. Darkwing must've connected the dots as well upon seeing the Ramrod's control panel, because she could very faintly hear him singing the lullaby as he pressed the corresponding buttons. 

And just like that, she was falling. She should've known such a sleazy slimebag wouldn't have kept his promise to let her go once he had control of her grandfather's machine; or at least, would've taken the condition literally. Gosalyn could just see Darkwing's face as he peeked over the edge, a hand out to grab her but was far too out-of-reach. 

Then, he smiled, bright, happy, relieved, and she stopped falling. 

"Gotcha!" She'd looked up to find Launchpad. He'd caught her in his arms, gave her a reassuring grin before setting her in the passenger seat beside him, and flew the Thunderquack back up to the roof, just in time to see Darkwing overloading the Ramrod. It sparked and smoked and shot beams every which way. Launchpad couldn't get the Thunderquack close enough without getting blasted. "DW!" 

He couldn't run for them; Bulba had grabbed his adversary and held him in place, just as the Ramrod exploded. 

The flames had been blinding, but all Gosalyn saw was the dark smoke, unable to see her hero anywhere amongst it. Launchpad had landed the Thunderquack, dropping her off with the promise to come back once he found Darkwing. He'd seemed so sure, but... how could anyone have survived that? He too disappeared into the dark, and the police had found her before either could return. If they even could have. 

After hours of questions, of which she felt too tired to answer but did anyway, they eventually took her back to the orphanage. Mrs. Cavanaugh had been, predictably, in a tizzy, fussing over her and asking where in the world she'd run off to, like she hadn't been there when three loons had tried to kidnap her. 

Gosalyn couldn't find it in herself to care anymore, offering a simple excuse about needing to lie down before crawling onto her cot. Her throat clogged up as tears made their way down the well-worn tracks on her face. No matter how familiar this had become for her, it didn't make it hurt any less.

~~~

She barely left her bed for several days, not talking to anyone except a few half-hearted replies to Mrs. Cavanaugh's poor attempts at cheering her up. 

If she didn't feel bad enough, she realized she had the perfect view of Canard Tower from the window next to her cot. She watched the reconstruction, unable to tear her eyes away. No one mentioned if bodies had been found at the site, but she doubted there would've been much to find beside whatever remained of the Ramrod. She wasn't really surprised that she hadn't seen or heard of Launchpad either; if he had made it out of there, she highly doubted he'd want anything to do with her. She got his partner killed after all. 

Now she didn't even have the comfort of her hero to ease her thoughts at night. She didn't think she could ever watch the show again, knowing the actual Darkwing Duck was gone, because of her. She was truly alone now.

Was Mrs. Cavanaugh talking to her again? She tuned in just in time to hear, "- is your first adoption interview in weeks Gosalyn. Perhaps you could show these nice people just a little spirit?" 

Boy if she wasn't sick of that word. "I don't feel well Mrs. Cavanaugh. Thanks anyway." 

The old woman sighed. "Well, they can't say I didn't try." Please, she barely tried. "I'll go let them know then." She must've left the door open, because Gosalyn could still hear her voice echoing down the hallway. "I'm sorry Mister Mallard, Mister McQuack. Gosalyn says she's doesn't feel well today. Perhaps you can come back at another time?" 

"Oh, sorry to hear that. We hope she feels better soon." 

Wait. Didn't she know that voice?

"Thank you, Mister Mallard, I'll tell her you're thinking about her. Though perhaps an interview isn't the best right now anyway. I'm honestly surprised you're up and about in the condition you're in."

She heard a familiar laugh, prompting her to slip out of bed and head towards the door. "It's nothin' my partner can't handle. There's not a thing on this planet that can keep him down for long." She knew that voice too! Hope was rising as she went for the door to Mrs. Cavanaugh's office, despite everything telling her it shouldn't be possible.

"Don't jinx me, hon." 

"It's true though!"

She peeked in, jaw dropping at the sight before her. Launchpad was there! And there was another duck with him, leaning rather heavily on him since one of his legs was in a cast. As was an arm actually. And there were noticeable bandages around his head and under his garish pink button-up. Was that... Could it be...?

Launchpad noticed her and smiled. He gently nudged the shorter duck, nodding towards her until the other saw her as well. "Actually, I'd say not even an explosion could keep you down," he added pointedly, making his partner smile, and Gosalyn understood. 

Before anyone could blink, Gosalyn pounced on the bandaged duck, sending them both clear across the room. "Gosalyn!" Mrs. Cavanaugh fretted. "What in the world has gotten into you?" 

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't worry," the pink-clad duck laughed, getting back up with Launchpad's help and pulling her up afterwards. 

"Is it really- I mean, I thought you-" the duckling stammered, feeling tears well up and threaten to fall. 

He smiled gently, his uninjured hand running through her hair. "There's one thing you'll learn about ol' Drake Mallard, if you want to stick around: it's that I always get back up. And there's a lot more to get back up for, if I've got an adopted daughter to worry about." 

The tears started falling; exactly as she expected of her hero, but so much more than she could've dreamed.

"If _we_'ve got an adopted daughter to worry about," Launchpad corrected gently, an arm wrapped lovingly around Drake's waist. "If ya don't mind having two dads anyway," he added with a nervous chuckle.

The dream she'd had a couple weeks ago came back at her, her grandfather's words finally making sense. Did she want Darkwing Duck, or Drake Mallard she supposed, and Launchpad McQuack as her new family? "I couldn't wish for anyone better!" She pounced on them again, LP keeping everyone on their feet as she was suddenly engulfed in darkness. But it was a calming darkness, of a warm embrace full of love. She could get used to this. 

~~~

They hadn't been able to take her home right away, of course. The one time Mrs. Cavanaugh did something right kept Gosalyn from her family for a few more weeks as they went through interviews and house visits and a lot of paperwork. She thought her time waiting to leave the orphanage would take forever, but it wasn't all that bad, really. 

The dark of night was now filled with excitement and hope, knowing the masked vigilante and his partner were out on the streets, stopping crime and fighting for justice. The darkness of the aptly-named Darkwing Tower was contrasted with a bright yellow home in the suburbs, complete with a huge backyard, Darkwing Duck memorabilia all around the living room, and a bedroom all ready to be customized to her liking once she was finally released from the orphanage for good. 

Whenever she saw the dark purple vest and cape of the terror that flaps in the night, she knew there was a sickeningly-pink flannel ready to take their place during the day. And when she saw the dark brown of the friendly pilot's bomber jacket and chauffeur hat, she knew there was a smile brighter than the sun waiting just for her. 

And finally the day came. The last of the paperwork was signed, and Mrs. Cavanaugh bade her goodbye for the last time. She was ushered into the front seat of a relatively-new station wagon, nestled between Launchpad behind the wheel and Drake on shotgun. Drake wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and LP playfully ruffled her hair. He switched on the stereo, and the beginning riff of the Darkwing Duck theme song reverberated through the car. 

As Gosalyn, Drake, and Launchpad belted out the theme song together, Gosalyn felt any apprehension for the dark fade away to nothing. Her grampa had been right: she could get through anything life had to throw at her, but she was content knowing she didn't have to do it alone anymore. Any looming shadows or black storms or moonless nights were nothing, so long as she had her dads to guide her through with their light.


End file.
